Stepladder



G. E. LOUCKS Sept. 15, 1953 STEPLADDER Filed June 15. 1951 INVENTOR.

G'L-ORGE E. LOUCKS Patented Sept. 15, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICESTEPLADDER George E. Loucks, Belle River, Ontario, Canada ApplicationJune 15, 1951, Serial No. 231,821

2 Claims. (Cl. 228-31) This invention relates to step ladders and hasparticular reference to a ladder which will not tip over when in use.

An object of the invention is to generally improve step ladders and toprovide a ladder which is inherently stable, simple in construction,economical to manufacture, and eiiicient in use, and one which may befolded into a comparatively small space for storing and transporting thesame.

Another object of the invention is to provide a ladder with atripod-like structure for bracing the same.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages of the invention willbecome more apparent as the description proceeds, reference being madefrom time to time to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a rear elevational view of a ladder embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section, taken substantially on the line 2-2 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a section, taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the device in folded position.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, it will be understoodthat in the embodiment herein disclosed, the reference characters 1 and8 indicate the side rails of a conventional ladder, having steps 9, I2,and II, which may be secured to the side rails 1 and 8 in anyconventional manner. The side rails 1 and 8 are provided with a topplate I2, which overhangs the side rails 1 :and 8 at the rear as at I3,to provide a support for the legs I4, I5, and I5, which are pivotallysecured at their upper ends in the clevises I1, I8, and I9. The clevisesI1 and I9 are also arranged to rotate about the pivots HA and ISA.

Intermediate the ends of the side rails 1 and '8, and pivotally securedthereto, as at 20 and 21, is a U shaped member 22. To the underside ofthe web portion of the U shaped member 22, I pivotally secure, as at 23and 24, a pair of clevises 25 and 26, to which are respectively pivotedthe arms 21 and 28, which are in turn pivoted at their other ends, as at21A and 28A, to the legs I4 and I6. A third clevis 29 is secured to theunderside of the web portion of the member 22 and has pivoted to it thearm 30, the other end of the arm 30 is pivoted as at 3I to the leg I5.

The upward rocking of the member 22 on its pivots 20 and 2I, causes thelegs I4, I5, and I6 to be drawn inwardly by means of the arms 21, 28,and so. In order to r te t e less I 4 a I6 on the pivots 11A and ISA(Fig. 1 when the legs I 4 and I 6 are being moved outwardly at thebottom, under the influence of the U shaped member 22 and connectingarms 21 and 28, I provide the springs 32 and 33 which are connected tochains 34 and 35 which extend between the legs I4 and I6 and the siderails 1 and 8. I also provide chains 36 and 31 between the leg I5 andthe legs I4 and I6. The chains 36 and 31 serve to limit the movement ofthe legs I4 and I6 under the influence of the springs 32 and 33, andalso serve to stabilize the legs I4, I5, and I6 when the device is inuse.

In Fig. 4, I illustrate the position of the component parts when thedevice is folded for storage or transportation.

In order to set the ladder up for use, the side rails I and 8 are firstrested upon the ground and the operator extends his hand between therails 1 and 8 and grasps the U shaped member 22, rocking it downwardly.The downward movement of the member 22 causes the outward movement ofthe arms 21, 28, and 30, which in turn force the outward movement of thelower ends of the legs I4, I5, and I6. During the outward travel of thelower ends of the legs 14, I5, and I Ii, the springs 32 and 33 will alsocause the legs I4 and 13 to rotate about their longitudinal axes on thepivots HA and I 9A, which rotation will be limited by the chains 36 and31.

In folding the device, it is necessary to manually rotate the legs I4and IS in the opposite direction against the action of the springs 32and 33. This manual rotation of the legs I4 and It becomes increasinglyeasy as the lower ends of the legs I4, I5 and I6 are moved inwardlyunder the influence of the arms 21, 28, and 30, and the upward movementof the member 22.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided a step ladderwith a novel means of bracing the ladder against any tendency for theladder to tip over when in use.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, including a pair of siderails and a plurality of steps secured thereto, the combination of a topplate, three clevises secured to the underside of said plate, two ofsaid clevises being rotatable with respect to said plate, a leg pivotedto each of said clevises, a U shaped member pivoted to said side rails,three clevises pivoted to said U shaped member, two of said last namedclevises being rotatable with respect to said U shaped member, armspivoted to said last named clevises and to points intermediate the endsof said legs, spring means extending between said side rails and the twoof said legs secured to said rotatable clevises, and chains extendingbetween said last mentioned legs and the third leg, whereby to limit theoutward movement of said two legs.

2. The combination with a ladder, of a top plate having an overhangingportion, at least three clevises secured to the overhanging portion ofsaid plate, two of said clevises being rotatable, a leg pivoted to eachof said clevises, a U shaped member pivoted to the side rails of saidladder, at least three clevises secured to said U shaped member, two ofsaid last named clevises being rotatable with respect to said U shapedmember, an arm pivoted to each of said last named olevises and to one ofsaid legs, and flexible means extending between said legs and betweenthe legs and said side rails for limiting the movement of said legs,upon the downward movement of said U shaped member.

, GEORGE E. LOUCKS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 10Number Name Date 46,105 Hayes Jan. 31, 1865 1,910,551 Kruse May 23, 19332,409,266 Fowler Oct. 15, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 15 Number Country Date368,499 Great Britain Mar. 10, 1932

